Sisterhoods
by AGirlHasNoName20
Summary: DO NOT READ UNLESS ALL CAUGHT UP WITH THE TRIALS OF APOLLO. This fanfic is set during the events of The Tyrant's Tomb. After the battle, Reyna has a talk with a dear friend about lost brothers, love, and future plans.


_Hey guys!_

**Again, if you haven't read Tyrant's Tomb, leave this story immediately.**

_This is how I imagined the conversation about joining the Hunters would have gone between Reyna and Thalia. _

_Feel free to review and/or let me know of any other stories you would like me to write!_

_Cheers for reading!_

_**Sisterhood.**_

Post war was always a difficult time for Reyna.

As used as she was to giving her strength and her attention to her people, the emotional toll of saying goodbye to fallen fellow legionnaires, of mantaining a strong face as the rest wept openly left her more exhausted than she would care to admit.

However, this time was different.

As silly as Apollo was and as hesitant as she usually was towards men, her unlikely friend had made her open up about her insecurities, her pressures, and her heartbreak. With his help, she was now seeing her life through a different perspective and, as sad as she was by the people they had lost, for the first time in a long time there was a spring in her step as she walked towards her favourite place.

But, as she arrived, she noticed it was already occupied.

"That's my spot, Grace" Reyna spoke jokingly as she stood besides the daughter of Zeus.

"Selfish's not a good look on you, Ramirez" Thalia smirked in return. She glanced shortly at the pretor before looking towards the horizon, the entirety of New Rome below them "Things've been so hectic lately. I feel we haven't got the chance to talk"

"I know" Reyna sighed, rolling her shoulders to relieve herself of the tension as she glanced around the Garden of Bacchus, relishing in the relaxing effect it had on her.

A comfortable silence ensued between both leaders and, as always, Reyna couldn't help but secretly glance at Thalia every few minutes, noticing how different yet similar she was when compared to Jason.

It still hurt when she thought of Jason but she was beginning to think of all the happy memories she had of him, rather than grieve everything she could have done different, which is why she was so happy Thalia was in New Rome.

Even if Thalia had regrettably been apart from her brother for a long time, she still felt more comfortable talking to her about Jason than to Frank or any of the rest, who she felt she needed to have a certain distance from because of her place in Camp Jupiter.

"I used to come here with Jason" Reyna spoke finally, her eyes never leaving the city, even as she felt Thalia's gaze on her "Whenever we had free afternoons, we used to grab hot chocolate from the café and come here so no one would bother us"

"What did you talk about?" Thalia asked, a fond smile on her face.

"Anything, really. From news of the camp, duties we needed to take care of later or rumours we heard around. Your brother was the biggest gossip" both girls laughed shortly before Reyna sighed, her smile turning slightly melancholic as she rested her bent elbows on the stone banister "Sometimes, when either of us couldn't sleep - let's face it, being able to sleep peacefully as demigod is impossible -, we would sneak out and stay here talking for hours about anything and everything. Those will forever be some of my favourite memories"

"I wished we'd had more time, you know" Thalia whispered, her eyes downcast as she played with her sleeve "I'm grateful that I got to see him again but still, he didn't deserve to die. We deserved more time with him. All of us"

"He was lucky to have so many people who loved him and in turn, we were all so lucky to have known him and to have been loved by him" Reyna shook her head "I've heard a lot of crap about learning how to cherish all the moments we had with the people with lose, rather than to grief all those moments we lost. I think that's bullshit. We will be ready to move on when we are but until then, we owe it to ourselves to heal by grieving Jason"

Thalia chuckled despite herself, wiping her eyes with her sleeve "You've changed, Ramirez. You weren't so vulnerable last time I saw you"

Reyna laughed before turning to sit on a bench behind them. She glanced around her, thinking of how so much had changed since the last time she was up there "That's something I wanted to talk to you about, actually"

"I'm intrigued" Thalia arched her eyebrows. She turned around and lean on the banister behind her, crossing her arms as she eyed the pretor.

"A while ago, I had a talk with Venus, in which she told me that no demigod would ever fix my broken heart" Reyna started, her eyes brightening in amusement when she noticed the look of deep rage in the huntress' face "Breathe, Thalia, there's no use in getting mad about the sayings of a goddess"

"No use in-" Thalia closed her eyes, visibly containing herself from throwing a tantrum "See, I don't understand why love is so overrated! It messes with people's heads, it makes them make so many mistakes and ruins their lives, and what's even the point? We're all leaving this world alone anyways!"

"Aren't you so bright and hopeful" Reyna laughed "Anyways, I was admittedly quite sad about it for some time. It just didn't seem fair, you know? Like, besides all this things that already made me seem intimidating and out of reach, did I really have to be even more weird?"

"I get it" Thalia nodded "When it rains, it pours, isn't like that the saying?"

"Something like that" Reyna replied, a glint in her eyes "And to top it all, when we came back from Camp Jupiter, people started worrying about me because I've been on my own for so long and they feared I was getting too tired. They started suggesting I took a break, they even gave me hints on single people who could be 'my type'. I knew they came from a good place but I really couldn't help but wonder whether they would have behaved in the same way had it been Jason or Frank"

Thalia sat beside Reyna and nudged her with her elbow "Then what happened?"

"Then Apollo brought your brother's body. And then he asked me out" both girls looked at each other before dissolving into giggles, leaning into each other as to keep from falling. After several minutes, Reyna gasped to regain her breath, wiping her eyes off tears "It was the most hilarious moment of my life...but I realized how seriously I was regarding myself. Why am I supposed to feel bad because I'm single? I'm not trying to be an asshole but I just feel so accomplished and loved. I have done so much for my people and I feel so loved by so many, and there are so many people I consider my friends. It's been such a wonderful ride and I regret nothing so, why am I a weirdo if I'm single by choice? Why am I a failure, a matter for concern if I don't get a partner?"

"My thoughts exactly" Thalia replied proudly "But I'm guessing you aren't telling me all of this to vent to a friend. Is there anything I can do?"

"Actually, yes" Reyna replied as she stood up once again and walked towards the edge of the garden towards the banister and it was only then that Thalia realized that while her friend still wore her pretor uniform, her hair wasn't braid but, for the first time, cascaded down her back in dark waves "I would like to join the Hunters"

Thalia stood as well, shocked by her friend's request and could only gape as Reyna turned around, her expression and posture the calmest yet "I'm thrilled of course but um...I mean, what about your people? I never thought you would ever leave your place here"

"I didn't either" Reyna replied "But that's the thing, everything changes so unexpectedly. When we defeated Gaea, I stayed here because my people needed a constant leader in the face of so many changes but they no longer need that and...Jason had been planning so many things for Camp Jupiter, and he died so unexpectedly. I can't keep putting my life on hold because of others. I need to be selfish once in a while and now...now it feels right to be so"

Thalia nodded wordlessly before hugging Reyna tightly.

"Welcome, sister"


End file.
